Went to the grocery store and they were having a sale on all size birds. Since my wife and I came back from Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with no leftovers, I decided to buy a smaller one. It is 7 pounds.

I have never cooked one before. I don't plan on stuffing it. What are prep procedures? Do I cover it in a roasting pan? What temp and how long for a 7 pound bird?

David

ExxoticOne

11-28-2003, 14:27

This is a small (tough) bird...do yourself a favor...wrap it in foil loosely (for a kind of pressure cooker effect)...it will still brown. When I say "loosely" I mean give yourself at least 2 inches of clearance all around the turkey (except for the bottom of course).

Bake/foil-roast the turkey at 325 degrees, allowing approximately 20 minutes per pound for unstuffed birds and 25 minutes per pound for stuffed OR for every instance you open the oven to peek.

Since you're not stuffing it with dressing...salt/pepper outside and inside...consider throwing an onion/celery stalk, garlic bulb, peeled/cored apple inside the cavity for some "aromatics".

MrsKitty

11-28-2003, 17:22

Follow a variation of Exxotic One's directions with a Reynold's Browning Bag instead of aluminum foil will make a nice turkey too.

In addition to her suggestions, I would add some butter or margarine, maybe half a stick, inside of the bird and rub a couple tablespoonfuls on the breast/legs/wings.

Be sure to cut a small slit in the top of the bag to allow the steam to escape so it don't blow up. Before putting the bird in the bag, add about a tablespoon of flour and shake well.

After the bird is done, drain the juices from the bag/foil and SAVE them. Use as the base for your gravy. (I had a panicked (sp?) friend call me thirty minutes before he was serving Thanksgiving dinner for his family wanting to know how to make the turkey gravy and he had tossed the juices;P ;P ;P Lesson learned;) ;f )

Mild Bill

11-28-2003, 18:48

Do a search on "brining" a Turkey...
It makes a massive difference in the flavor and juiciness of the meat, especially the white meat...
The white meat simply won't be dry...

Ya fill a container with about 2 gallons of cool water and add 2 cups of salt... dissolve...

Do this in the morning...

Submerge the Toykey for about 4 hours... Rinse well and cook like they recommended in previous posts...
Smear first with softened butter mixed with fresh ground black pepper, lots of paprika, lil' salt...

Lil' because of the brining...

Bake covered for 3/4 of the time, then uncovered for the last 1/2 hour...

MrsKitty

11-28-2003, 19:04

Deep frying makes a good turkey too!

lethal tupperwa

11-28-2003, 19:29

Thaw in fridge or in the package in cool water.

Remove the large chunks of fat where ever you find them.

The skin around the neck end will have a good coat of it.

Pre heat the oven to 500deg.

Remove wing tips.

Turn the bird over and cutting along either side of the spine
remove the top and bottom of it. Leave 2-3inches in the middle.

Rinse the bird well.

Salt and pepper well.

Put some kind of vegi-onion, carrots, or apples in the bird.

Put the bird in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Tent the foil so that there is some space above the bird.

Place in the oven and then turn the heat down to 350.

On a larger bird wait a half an hour.

Turkeys need to cook 20 minutes per pound.

The last half hour of cooking remove the foil and rub with a stick of butter every 10min.( use the same stick just give the bird a lite coat of butter each time)

The internal temp should be 175 to 180.

Remove from the oven and and recover with foil and let sit for 20min.

While all this cooking is going on take the the spine and what you found inside the turkey and put in a pan with water (remove the paper bag)1 or 2 carrots,an onion a stalk of celery bring to a boil then let simmer.

In a fry pan cook some chopped onion,and a chopped stalk or two of celery when clear mix with some torn up bread. Add some sage if you like it.

When the turkey stock has the flavor throw out the stuff in the pan.
Keep the liquid.

Mix some if it with the bread( it should be slightly moist not soggy)

Put in a low pan and cook in the oven the last half hour the turkey
cooks. When you take the turkey out leave the stuffing in while the turkey rests.

Pour the pan drippings out and remove most of the fat.

In a frying pan use some of the fat 4tablespoons or use butter.
Heat and add 4tablespoons of flour. Mix and cook a few minutes add the pan drippings stir and cook till it thickens.

You may use some of the stock to thin it out add salt and pepper to taste.

that ought to do it.

gibbons025

11-29-2003, 01:02

If you Deep Fry your turkey dont put it in your garage, it might burn down. LOL, feel sorry for that guy.

jhooten

11-29-2003, 14:35

Being as she was not feeling well one night not too long ago the wife was watching infomercials and ordered the Ronco Showtime Rotissary thing. Since there are only the three of us this year a small (12#) bird was deemed sufficient. I was looking for some place to set the bird for a short while and put it in the machine and shut the door while I hunted down the roasting pan, then the light went on (the one over my head not the one in the machine). So I seasoned up the bird, put it on the split rods, closed the door, set the machine for 144 minutes (12 min per #), and forgot about it. Two and a half hours later an evenly brown, well cooked, tender, juicy bird emerged from the miracle machine. Our son commented that it was the best turkey he ever had.

lethal tupperwa

11-09-2004, 11:36

Originally posted by DWavs
Went to the grocery store and they were having a sale on all size birds. Since my wife and I came back from Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with no leftovers, I decided to buy a smaller one. It is 7 pounds.

I have never cooked one before. I don't plan on stuffing it. What are prep procedures? Do I cover it in a roasting pan? What temp and how long for a 7 pound bird?

David

This was last years question

this was last years answer:

how to
Thaw in fridge or in the package in cool water.

Remove the large chunks of fat where ever you find them.

The skin around the neck end will have a good coat of it.

Pre heat the oven to 500deg.

Remove wing tips.

Turn the bird over and cutting along either side of the spine
remove the top and bottom of it. Leave 2-3inches in the middle.

Rinse the bird well.

Salt and pepper well.

Put some kind of vegi-onion, carrots, or apples in the bird.

Put the bird in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Tent the foil so that there is some space above the bird.

Place in the oven and then turn the heat down to 350.

On a larger bird wait a half an hour.

Turkeys need to cook 20 minutes per pound.

The last half hour of cooking remove the foil and rub with a stick of butter every 10min.( use the same stick just give the bird a lite coat of butter each time)

The internal temp should be 175 to 180.

Remove from the oven and and recover with foil and let sit for 20min.

While all this cooking is going on take the the spine and what you found inside the turkey and put in a pan with water (remove the paper bag)1 or 2 carrots,an onion a stalk of celery bring to a boil then let simmer.

In a fry pan cook some chopped onion,and a chopped stalk or two of celery when clear mix with some torn up bread. Add some sage if you like it.

When the turkey stock has the flavor throw out the stuff in the pan.
Keep the liquid.

Mix some if it with the bread( it should be slightly moist not soggy)

Put in a low pan and cook in the oven the last half hour the turkey
cooks. When you take the turkey out leave the stuffing in while the turkey rests.

Pour the pan drippings out and remove most of the fat.

In a frying pan use some of the fat 4tablespoons or use butter.
Heat and add 4tablespoons of flour. Mix and cook a few minutes add the pan drippings stir and cook till it thickens.

You may use some of the stock to thin it out add salt and pepper to taste.